I got a call from a guy who needs 75 yards of mulch installed. The prep work is already done so its just installing the mulch. He finally gets back to me this afternoon after playing phone tag. I gave him my price and he told he I was on the high end. I came in at $5222.34 and he got a few bids, One was at $10k and others were at $10 -$15 dollars to install 75 yards of mulch. He said he was going to go with the lowest bid, someone who is more economical as he put it. This makes me sick to my stomach!

I figured it would take 3 guys 25 hours to install all the mulch. It would have been me and 2 buddies that are laid off. I would pay them $10 an hour. If you are laying that much mulch for 10-15 dollars a yard, how in the hell can you make money. I'm sure the guy who gave him that bid is not legit by any means!! :dizzy::dizzy::dizzy::hammerhead::hammerhead::confused::mad::realmad::wall:gunsfirinpayup:angry::cry :

Dr.NewEarth

05-31-2012, 03:09 PM

It's Stressfull Running A Business.

Any-thing more than a yard or two and I call in the bark mulch blowers.
They charge 45 to 50 a yard. I'd rather focus on more interesting tasks and
not be picking out slivers all night.

I hear you though. I've done more than 75 yards on landscape installation gigs with a wheelbarrow. It's not a fun task. Good Luck this year.

KrayzKajun

05-31-2012, 03:25 PM

Is the mulch supplied? Just for labor I was close $6k. Thts why we use bagged mulch easier to handle and quicker to put down.
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GMLC

05-31-2012, 07:00 PM

I would have bid $5250 to spread 75 yards of mulch that is already supplied at the site. 10-15 a yard is crazy!!!!
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lazor-cut

05-31-2012, 07:23 PM

Its Not too bad if you can rent a skid steer or two.... THis past weekend we did 190 yards in eight hours running 2 skids.
Your price seems low especially if it includes the mulch.

C Jovingo Landscaping

05-31-2012, 07:50 PM

Wow, someone is doing it for peanuts... especially if they don't average 1yd/hr! I hope they have big hills to go up, small areas that take time & long distance to move mulch to lower their hourly avg to $5/hr when job is complete.
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Glenn Lawn Care

05-31-2012, 09:02 PM

My price does not include the mulch. The homeowner was having it delivered himself.
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grandview (2006)

05-31-2012, 09:41 PM

I would be at about 35 a yd for the the labor to do it. As long as I didn't have to pick it waste time driving and stuff still can make money on it.

muddywater

05-31-2012, 10:12 PM

Depending on site conditions i could do it for $2250 labor only. Job would take 30 man hours or 1 day for 3 guys. That is $75 per man hour. But we have 3 dingos and a track skid with 1 yard bucket. We have done 120 yards in 1 day with 4 guys.

How do you guys come up with 6k in labor only? How many man hours are estimating? What labor rate per man hour? Do you do it with wheel barrows?

Glenn Lawn Care

05-31-2012, 10:14 PM

It had to be done with wheelbarrows only. And I was charging $65 a yard to install.
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grandview (2006)

05-31-2012, 10:14 PM

I base my price on per yd only, not man hours.

KrayzKajun

05-31-2012, 10:19 PM

I base my price on per yd only, not man hours.

Same here. Average $65-75yd for labor only.
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muddywater

05-31-2012, 10:35 PM

So you dont use man hours to estimate how long a job will take? On larger jobs your not more efficient? On commercial jobs, where a skid steer can be used, you dont factor in the job taking less man hours so you can bid more competively and get the job?

Glenn Lawn Care

05-31-2012, 11:21 PM

I figured it would take 3 guys 25 man hours. That's about 3 yards of mulch layer in an hour. I can do a yard in an hour by myself.
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C Jovingo Landscaping

06-01-2012, 12:17 AM

I figured it would take 3 guys 25 man hours. That's about 3 yards of mulch layer in an hour. I can do a yard in an hour by myself.
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Just by looking at numbers here, youre estimating this job at 75 hours and bidding about $5250 for just labor. That is $70/hr for spreading mulch. If you paid 2 guys $10/hr that would be $190/hr profit youre making for the job. Sounds pretty high to me for spreading mulch with some wheelbarrels. I dont know how guys on this site are saying they would charge that or even more.

Im not sure how far you need to move everyting with a wheelbarrel or how many bushes you need to spread around but Im sure you could do this in 50man hrs.

dutchacres

06-01-2012, 02:16 AM

I only can get $65 a yard installed here and that includes the mulch. Some places are doing it for $50 a yard. My cost for mulch ranges between $16-$20 yard. If I put dyed mulch down I charge $75 a yard since it cost me $20 yard for the mulch itself. For a job that big I rent a blower for sure. Two guys can blow 10 yards a hour easy and that includes clean up. I rented one for the first time last season and I wondered why I had never done that before. It saved so much on labor that it paid for the rental.

Duekster

06-01-2012, 04:08 AM

I only can get $65 a yard installed here and that includes the mulch. Some places are doing it for $50 a yard. My cost for mulch ranges between $16-$20 yard. If I put dyed mulch down I charge $75 a yard since it cost me $20 yard for the mulch itself. For a job that big I rent a blower for sure. Two guys can blow 10 yards a hour easy and that includes clean up. I rented one for the first time last season and I wondered why I had never done that before. It saved so much on labor that it paid for the rental.

How much was the rental?

thom

06-01-2012, 09:19 AM

In my area,it would be hard to get better then $ 65.00 a yard for a mulch
install,and include the mulch,and bed prep in the quote.If I were asked to bid a labor only mulch install,I would look at the job first.
I would measure the job,and quote a fixed price for the job based on TIME only.
Never tell the customer what your hourly rate is, and dont tell them the number of hours you expect to be on the job.
Get a signed contract.

Orrdc

06-01-2012, 12:51 PM

I give my price and take it or leave it. One thing that I do is to try to sell the quality with pictures and or explanations. Sure you can get a guy to come in and do your mulch for 50 bucks a yard, but more than likely hes just slopping it around. I have seen some horrible jobs, what I guarantee is the yard is going to look very nice and professional when we finish.

grandview (2006)

06-01-2012, 01:25 PM

So you dont use man hours to estimate how long a job will take? On larger jobs your not more efficient? On commercial jobs, where a skid steer can be used, you dont factor in the job taking less man hours so you can bid more competively and get the job?

Last time I looked ,it cost money to own and run a skid to move mulch. It's not what type of equipment you have,its how you plan out the job. And it sounds like from the OP its a residential property.So driving a SS all over the lawn won;t do.

Pressedun

06-01-2012, 06:46 PM

I figured it would take 3 guys 25 man hours. That's about 3 yards of mulch layer in an hour. I can do a yard in an hour by myself.
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If you're only laying a yard of mulch per hour without any prep work, gotta say you're working too slow or something is inefficient... JMHO.

larryinalabama

06-01-2012, 06:58 PM

I feel for the guy doing the work for a lousey 10bucks an hour. Sore back long hot day for 80bucks, You yankees are tough

lazor-cut

06-01-2012, 07:31 PM

Last time I looked ,it cost money to own and run a skid to move mulch. It's not what type of equipment you have,its how you plan out the job. And it sounds like from the OP its a residential property.So driving a SS all over the lawn won;t do.

For resi jobs i usually bring in my JD Tractor with Front loader or even my Cat Tracked Skidsteer. It really doesnt mess the lawn up too bad. If anything it messes up my stripes but after i cut the lawn again it doenst look bad.

Duekster

06-01-2012, 08:12 PM

For resi jobs i usually bring in my JD Tractor with Front loader or even my Cat Tracked Skidsteer. It really doesnt mess the lawn up too bad. If anything it messes up my stripes but after i cut the lawn again it doenst look bad.

6 months later you can sell them a aeration.

Site unseen, I too would assume 1 MH per yard. You could likely throw your full crew on it or use equipment.... However equipment is billed at a higher rate... Skilled operator and equipment cost and all considered. It is a wash for the most part on cost just depends on how fast you want to get it done.

muddywater

06-01-2012, 09:20 PM

Last time I looked ,it cost money to own and run a skid to move mulch. It's not what type of equipment you have,its how you plan out the job. And it sounds like from the OP its a residential property.So driving a SS all over the lawn won;t do.

Yeah a track skid steer cost a whopping $10 per hour in operating cost including fuel, but it can do what 7 wheel barrows can and fast!

And last time i checked wide track dingos are a hell of alot more efficient than wheel barrows.

Its a one day job if you know how to do big jobs.
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Roachy

06-01-2012, 11:15 PM

Yeah a track skid steer cost a whopping $10 per hour in operating cost including fuel, but it can do what 7 wheel barrows can and fast!

And last time i checked wide track dingos are a hell of alot more efficient than wheel barrows.

Its a one day job if you know how to do big jobs.
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Yea well if youre bidding over $5k on a one day job chances are youre not gonna get the bid.

I think you can reasonably do this in 2 days with either $500 in labor or $500 spent in equipment costs. Someone bidding $3500 on the job could make $3k profit on 2 days of labor.

Glenn Lawn Care

06-01-2012, 11:19 PM

Yea well if youre bidding over $5k on a one day job chances are youre not gonna get the bid.

I think you can reasonably do this in 2 days with either $500 in labor or $500 spent in equipment costs. Someone bidding $3500 on the job could make $3k profit on 2 days of labor.

I bid it as a 3 day job. If you read all the comment you would have seen that I can't get a machine in this yard, it is all done with wheelbarrows. Its and acre lot and he has beds everywhere with shrubs and plants... A lot of clutter.

lazor-cut

06-01-2012, 11:36 PM

Wow im sorry but i dont think i would even bid the job! 75 yards by "hand"
Forget that!
i have never had a 75 yard job that was too tight for a DINGO or my JD Tractor with bucket to use....

cpllawncare

06-02-2012, 12:01 AM

I would think a dingo would be fine, in most all situations, at least from what I've seen and done. I wouldn't attempt 75 yards by hand for sure, there would be equip involved without a doubt

chips17

06-02-2012, 12:26 AM

I only can get $65 a yard installed here and that includes the mulch. Some places are doing it for $50 a yard. My cost for mulch ranges between $16-$20 yard. If I put dyed mulch down I charge $75 a yard since it cost me $20 yard for the mulch itself. For a job that big I rent a blower for sure. Two guys can blow 10 yards a hour easy and that includes clean up. I rented one for the first time last season and I wondered why I had never done that before. It saved so much on labor that it paid for the rental.
How much was the rental? just curious i might have to do that

grandview (2006)

06-02-2012, 07:04 AM

75 yards is not that much. It's all about planning. 3 guys can have that done by quitting time. One guy stays by the beds and the other 2 just keep bringing and dumping the mulch. You don't have each guy doing their own area.

Glenn Lawn Care

06-04-2012, 07:40 PM

75 yards is very do able by hand with 3 guys.

Duekster

06-04-2012, 09:41 PM

4 guys are better, two loading wheel barrows, one running wheel barrows and one spreading.

Gilmore.Landscaping

06-04-2012, 10:06 PM

wow, even if it did take 1hr /yard (which I highly doubt since on that much area there have to be wide open spaces)

Wow, you would never get that price around here. I would knock it out in one day easy, me in the skid hitting the pile loading, two guys on wheel barrows running back and forth dumping, two guys spreading. That's how we do it when dealing with typically over 20 yards. Work smart not hard my friends. :weightlifter:

View from the cockpit, this one was a little over 60 the back yard is basically one big bed with very little grass. Took around 6 hours from prep-edge and the whole 9 yards. We don't do anything sloppy so know it wasn't thrown all over the place.

Glenn Lawn Care

06-04-2012, 11:25 PM

wow, even if it did take 1hr /yard (which I highly doubt since on that much area there have to be wide open spaces)

Im with Jason... Skid Steer all the way!
If its over 10 yards usually im bringing the JD 2320 Loader.
Over 45 Im bringing the Skidsteer.
Over 60 im bringing both!
Shall i go on?
Over 150 i'm bringing 2 skids and a tractor.
Over 300 We bring 3 skids and a Tractor.

I really like the 500 Yrd installs!

dutchacres

06-05-2012, 12:33 AM

Rental for the mulch blower was $350 a day. But when you can knock out 10 yards a hour and not even push it with two guys the labor savings as you can see is huge. What I do is at the start of the new season I go around and prep all my beds and get everything ready. Then I take the mulch to the property and then go around and blow everything. It takes planning but you can knock out some serious mulch in a hurry if you do it right.